Eternal
by XxBlackChaosxX
Summary: Back when Deidara first joins the Akatsuki, our little blonde is having trouble adjusting to his new life and his new partner. With an apathetic Sasori leaving him in tears, will Deidara ever be able to adjust? SasoDei, DeiSaso yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

There were two things in life Deidara was certain of: the first being that nothing was meant to last forever and the second that loving someone inevitably brought their death. He learned both of these vital lessons the day Uchiha Itachi and Akasuna Sasori destroyed everything he had once held dear. With everything - and everyone - gone ripped away from him, Deidara had no choice but to follow their demands and become a member of the Akatsuki. Already, he was unhappy. For obvious reasons.

He was destined to be Sasori's partner from the very beginning - he had been _chosen, _not accepted. For this reason alone, Deidara despised his new life with Sasori. The Akatsuki rarely met in one large place, and so Deidara had no idea of the identities of the others. There _was _a base where the members operated out of in between missions, but Sasori avoided them. He did not favor such populated areas.

Another reason why Deidara was no longer happy: he was partnered with someone who was his complete opposite. Deidara thrived for crowds - Sasori would rather be alone. Deidara loved everything that exploded - Sasori believed in eternal art.

What a fool.

Through his traumatizing experience before becoming an Akatsuki, Deidara learned that loving others brought nothing but pain as those people left your life. Life was an explosion - there one minute, gone the next. Love was nothing but a slow, torturous ride to an inevitable end. Saying something was eternal was complete ignorance. How could someone believe in something that would hurt them so much?

For the past three months, Deidara had traveled the world with Sasori, completing minor missions for his boss, Pein. He got to visit Hidden Villages that he had never heard of, along with famous ones. Every day with Sasori was a battle - usually over art or their mission plans. Neither were the type to concede, and so the arguments lasted until Sasori lost his patience and attacked Deidara. Deidara - being the agile type he was - would easily dodge them, and Sasori would always mumble something about not actually aiming.

Then Deidara would retort, and a new argument was started. One thing Deidara enjoyed about Sasori - he never conceded and abandoned his own vies. For this reason alone, Deidara felt some respect for the puppeteer. Despite this, he never treated the puppeteer any differently than he would anyone else. Honestly, Deidara didn't really like Sasori. They had completely different reviews, and, although Deidara respected his new partner for this, he was not very appreciative of being called a brat and being degraded. Sasori seemed to be unfavorable of the blonde as well - anything that was heard from within that puppet-shell was nothing but snide comments and contradictions. There was a heavy tension between the two - something that was always there, like air - and Deidara had actually cried over it a few times. He didn't like the constant abuse, the never-ending criticism.

He had learned early in his partnership with Sasori to never be so feminine around the scorpion.

Progressively, things were declining between them. They were complete opposites – how were they supposed to coexist peacefully enough to complete missions? _By Sasori controlling everything, that's how. _Deidara thought bitterly as he silently walked alongside Sasori. He hated the fact that he had never seen Sasori's true form, even if he hadn't been around that long. It was offensive to the ex-Iwa nin that Sasori refused to come out of his shell when they were alone. Did Sasori not trust his own partner with his identity? Or did he simply lack respect for the blonde? Either way, it bothered Deidara to no end, not knowing what Sasori actually looked like.

Deidara's frown deepened into a scowl as they continued on. He really did hate his new life, even if he had only lived it for three months.

They were returning from a successful mission, heading for a hotel to spend the next few nights until Pein gave another order. Days like those were of the lazy sort; they had nothing to do, and so Deidara would pass each day by in a haze, not really taking anything in. He was free to explore the village they were in on these off days, but Deidara preferred to stay with someone he knew. He would do out to get food and supplies, but that was it. Sightseeing was a luxury that never happened. If he were to go out on his own just for the sights, he would need Sasori there with him.

That was the type of needy person he was. The two Akatsuki checked into a hotel and entered their rented room. Grateful for the beds provided, Deidara threw himself onto a bed and sighed heavily. His arms were out on either side of him, legs dangling over the edge of his chosen bed. Sasori used the tail connected to his shell to slam the door shut as he made his way inside. "Why is it that people around here aren't…afraid of that…shell, un?" Deidara asked as he pointed to Sasori.

"Hiruko?" Sasori asked, looking to him.

"Kami!" Deidara shouted as he sat upright, "That shell has a name?!"

"Most of my strongest puppets have names," Sasori answered somberly, "And people don't really mind this form in this village because they're on our side, for the most part. That's how we got such as luxurious suite for free, baka."

"Oh," the blonde murmured with a wince. Why did Sasori have to be so mean over such a simple question? He was still learning, after all. It would be simpler if the puppeteer wasn't so brusque. "Well…I'm going to take a shower, un. Then I'm gonna go to bed."

"Oyasuminasai, then." His partner answered off-handedly, turning away from him.

A little hurt, Deidara quickly took off his cloak and threw it on the floor beside his bed, then left for the bathroom.

His eyes were stinging again – something his experienced too often lately.

Deidara quickly closed the bathroom door behind him, locking it shut. His mind raced with questions that remained unanswered as he stripped himself of his clothes. He had never seen Sasori's true form, nor had he ever witnessed daily necessities being completed. Sasori seemed to never need a bathroom break, food, or shower. The puppeteer seemed immune to breathing, as well. In a whole three months, not once has Deidara witnessed his partner venture out from the confines of Hiruko.

And this disturbed Deidara greatly. Unnerved him.

Needfully inhaling the water's steam as it rained down from above, Deidara closed his eyes for a moment, pushing past the many things Sasori had not yet told him. _With time, _he thought. _Everything is revealed with time. _He sighed and opened his eyes, continuing on with his shower.

In time, everything will come out alright.

* * *

He emerged from the shower almost an hour later, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Running a comb through his hair, Deidara blinked and looked around. Hiruko was off in a corner, and so Deidara assumed Sasori was sleeping.

Did Sasori even need sleep?

"Sasori-san?" Deidara called, setting his hair brush down and approaching the shell. "You in there, un?"

"What do you want, brat?" Sasori asked when he was close enough to touch the shell.

"Just wondering if you were in there," he stammered as he backed off and replaced the towel with his boxers. He climbed into bed then and turned the light beside his bed off, muttering a small "Oyasuminasai."

For about thirty minutes, Deidara tossed and turned under his blankets. Something about Sasori was keeping him up. Perhaps it was all of the questions he had that were never answered. What frustrated Deidara the most was that Sasori never really answered his questions. Didn't he, as Sasori's partner, deserve to know more? Why didn't Sasori trust him with information? Did Sasori really hate him that much? _Why _did Sasori hate him so much? What had Deidara done to deserve such maltreatment?

"Stop moving around so much, brat." Sasori commanded. "You're annoying me more than usual."

Instantly, Deidara complied. He always did what Sasori told him, so why was his partner so cruel? Sasori always spoke to him as if he were an idiot. _Why was Sasori so cruel? _Frustration welled within him, and Deidara found himself asking that very question. "Sasori-san, why are you so mean to me? I never did anything to you, un!"

"Shut up, baka. You know I hate that."

"And I hate that!" Deidara wailed, his patience failing as he sat upright and turned the light on. His reserve was failing as well – he could feel his eyes stinging. "You always treat me like I'm an idiot, un! Like a dog! I've only been around for three months, kuso! And yet I've been treated worse and worse as time goes by, un! Why don't you trust me with anything? I'm your partner, for Kami's sake!"

"Shut up," Sasori commanded icily as he attacked the light with his tail, bringing a thick darkness around them. "I don't have to answer to a brat like you."

Deidara growled audibly in frustration, his eyes wet, and threw himself onto the pillows again. He buried his face into the pillows, then allowed the tears free roam. Silently, Deidara wrapped himself in his blankets, his back to Sasori, and willed sleep to come.

This was why he hated his new life.

* * *

The next morning, Deidara woke early. Earlier than someone who had the day off, that is. Yawning, the blonde sat upright and rubbed his visible eye. He felt better, rested. A part of him had completely forgotten the night before.

Frowning a little as he recalled it, Deidara looked around for Sasori. He spotted Hiruko in that same corner and called out to his partner.

"Deidara," a new, soft voice spoke his name from his left.

Heart racing, Deidara looked over to the source of the voice. Staring back at him was the most beautiful man Deidara had ever met: brilliant red hair, bottomless mercury eyes, clear porcelain skin. He leaned in dreadfully close to Deidara's face, gently fingertips holding the blonde's face firm. "I love you," the redhead whispered as he kissed the blonde. Deidara exhaled deeply in surprise, not even realizing that is eyes had closed. The male kissing him had a whisper-like voice – one that was usually careless, but filled with emotion only for Deidara.

They broke, and Deidara whispered the male's name: "Sasori-danna!"

Deidara's eyes shot open then, and he bolted upright. Sweat was covering his entire body, making his sheets stick to him uncomfortably. He was panting a little, as if exhausted, and realized that it wasn't only sweat that was making his sheets – and boxers – stick to him. Throwing the soiled blankets off, nose wrinkling in disgust, Deidara quickly collected his clothes and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

He had no memory of his dream. _Must've been a pretty hot girl, _he thought as he removed his boxers and climbed into the shower, making it as cold as possible. Although he was still a virgin, Deidara had fallen victim to numerous wet dreams. Of course, with his 'special' palms, he was no virgin to the art of masturbation. He had fallen in love with a girl once, but his feelings were not reciprocated. She liked him as a friend, but that was it. She had been killed with all the rest, three months ago. There wasn't supposed to be any 'evidence' that he was still alive. Anyone who had ever associated with him was murdered in a way that framed Deidara. His village expelled him for the murders, and so he had no choice but to join the Akatsuki.

Deidara blinked as the water coursed down his body, the remnants of his wet dream gone. He washed himself quickly, willing his mind to go blank. Morning depression was not fun.

After the shower, Deidara wrapped a towel around himself and emerged from the bathroom, holding his soiled boxers in a tight bundle with the rest of his clothes. Within Hiruko, Sasori was conversing with a room service waitress, who had removed his dirty bed sheets and placed them in a plastic container. Blushing heavily, Deidara ran over to the maid and asked her to wash his clothes as well. She made the smallest of grimaces before nodding and carefully taking his clothes. He thanked her softly as she left, closing the door behind her.

Tears stung Deidara's eyes as he sat at the foot of Sasori's bed and pushed his lower palms into them. He was so _embarrassed. _Never before had something like this happened to him in such a public place. "Don't cry, brat." Sasori's voice came from his front.

Deidara looked up weakly. "Why not, un? I'm so _embarrassed…_"

"Don't be. It happens to the best of us." For the first time since his arrival, Deidara witnessed a tone to Sasori's voice that wasn't annoyance. It was sympathy. Hiruko's warped head looked away from the blonde, his tail swaying slightly.

The blonde sniffled lightly, wiped away the tears wetting his eyes. Why was his partner, who was normally so apathetic, being nice? "D-did I say something in my sleep, un?"

There was a pause before Sasori answered, "No. You were just restless."

"I didn't use my hands?" If that was the case, then the girl he had fantasized about was _really _hot.

"I wasn't watching you!" Sasori snapped, obviously offended. Hiruko turned away completely, his back to Deidara. The silver tail slashed the air in annoyance.

"Gomenasai!" Deidara shouted, hoping to calm the puppeteer. "I didn't mean to offend you, un."

"Yeah, well…I was only being so nice because you're horrible at completing a mission when you're so upset." Deidara thought he heard Sasori scoff, "_Girl_." but he couldn't be sure. So he ignored it and asked,

"We have another mission?"

Hiruko's head shook. "Not exactly. We have to report to Hatafuri at the base. Status report for you, mostly."

Deidara swallowed back the lump of fear growing in his throat. "W-why do I need a status report, un?"

"To see how you're doing, obviously." Sasori repositioned Hiruko so that they were face to face again. "And to see how well we pair up. Trivial things like that. There's no need to be nervous, brat." Sasori added when Deidara's complexion went from sickly green to ghastly white. "Look, honestly, I think you've been doing pretty well. I mean that. I'm not going to tell Hatafuri that you're a horrible new partner, because you're not. You're…adequate." Here, Deidara envisioned Sasori wincing at the honesty.

"A-adequate?" Deidara repeated, stunned. "Y-you don't hate me, un?"

Sasori heaved a heavy sigh, turning away from the blonde. "I've never really _hated _you, per se…I just don't like you."

Deidara couldn't help but smile at that. He was not in Sasori's favor, but at least Sasori didn't completely hate him. It was a step in the right direction.

* * *

**Translations: **

**Oyasuminasai – Good night **

**Baka – Idiot **

**Kuso – Damnit **

**Kami – God **

**Gomenasai – I'm very sorry. **

**Hatafuri – Leader **

_:D And yet another story most of my fans don't want!! XD I know, I know. There will be more slight disappointments in store - whilst my computer was dying, I was busy writing a whole bunch of new stories after I completed Just Like You. So yeah, those will be coming out before that 8) Sorry for being such a disappointment! XD_

_As for the story - w00t! A long SasoDei story instead of a OneShot lemon!! (ish very happy) I do hope this goes along well - I kinda fell in love with this story already :) _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Two days later, Deidara stood beside Sasori - who was concealed within Hiruko, as always - and stared into the face of their leader - their Hatafuri - Pein. Although he had seen he's leader's face multiple times before, the many piercings on his face never failed to unnerve the blonde. That and the silver eyes.

He was respected for a reason, Deidara supposed.

"Welcome back, Sasori, Deidara," Pein welcomed them with a nod. "Now, time for Deidara's assesment. You've been here almost three months now, Deidara, and so the three of us are going to analyize your performance in those past three months. Understand?"

Deidara nodded slowly, and Pein took his seat behind his desk. "Sasori - What do you think of your new partner?"

Sasori kept his voice calm, as usual. "He's adequate. I enjoy working with him, actually - very obedient." Deidara silently smirked at that. Of course he was obedient - if he wasn't careful, Sasori's poisoned blade could kill him.

"Hmm, yes. He works well, deligently? So far you both have completed all of the missions I've assigned you perfectly." Sasori had nothing to say to that. "What do you think of his ninja skills?"

"They're...interesting." Deidara imagined Sasori wincing at that. "He's an artist,"-Deidara stifled a gasp in surprise--"in his own way, I suppose. We argue more often than not, but he's just a kid. He's a good partner, I suppose."

"You wish to continue working with him?" Pein's voice was dead serious now, freezing Deidara's heart in anxiety.

There was a pause - which made Deidara forget to breathe - before Sasori answered firmly, "Yes."

"Hn. Very well. Deidara - we'll keep you. You'll stay as Sasori's partner. You're dismissed."

Deidara practically ran out of the room. He bit his lower lip to keep from shouting happily until Sasori led him to their shared room. Once the door was closed, he shouted, "You said I'm an artist, un!" He hopped onto Hiruko and hugged its neck. Here, Deidara imagined Sasori wincing again.

"'_In his own way.'_" Sasori quoted himself. "Now get off me, brat. You're _okay. _Not as good as my last partner, but adequate enough."

"Who was your last partner, un?" Deidara asked as he chose a bed for himself and sat down.

"Member confidentiality," Sasori murmured, turning away.

"I work for you now," the blonde answered flatly. "I'm pretty certain you can trust me, un."

There was a pause before Sasori answered, "Orochimaru."

"Oh." Deidara murmured with a nod, trying to hide his surprise. Of course he knew the strength of Orochimaru - he was more surprised at taking his place. There was no way he could replace the snake master. Why had he, someone who was so inferior, been chosen to be Sasori's new partner? He was nowhere near Orochimaru's strength. "W-why would I be the one to replace him? I'm nowhere near as good, un."

This was where he imagined Sasori shrugging. "Hatafuri liked how you worked."

"But it was up to you to agree." It wasn't a question.

Sasori fell silent. "Why don't you go out and explore the place?" He changed the subject. "I know you want to."

Deidara bit his lip. He did. "What about the others?" was the only excuse he could conjure up.

"The only two here besides us is Konan and Hatafuri. Go out or something. Have a ball."

"Come with me," Deidara begged, looking down to his palms. For some reason, he wanted Sasori to enjoy exploring with him. He wanted Sasori to have fun, too. Another part of him whispered how he couldn't stand to be alone without the scorpion. It was right. "Please," he begged after a long silence on Sasori's part.

"I'm your partner," Sasori reminded him, "not your mother. Can't you take care of yourself?"

Deidara smiled weakly. "That's not my type of personality, un. I can't stand being alone."

Sasori heaved a heavy sigh from within Hiruko. "We just got back, brat. I figured you'd want to rest a while. And I was planning to work on my puppets, anyway." He was _always _working on his puppets. Despite this, he never emerged from the confines of Hiruko's walls. Instead, the puppeteer would move over to a corner and work from within. _What, does hehave a light in there or something? _Deidara thought bitterly. How could Sasori possibly see in there? More importantly, where did he find the room to keep all of his puppets? Deidara had so many questions for his partner, but the scorpion never had any answers.

"Well, then, either work on them later or I'll wait, un." Deidara answered simply, folding his arms angrilly and pouting like a child. "I want to spend time with you, and I'm not moving until you concede." More than half of him could've believe he'd actually said that.

There was a heavy silence before Sasori _Tsk_ed loudly and complained, "Why do you want me to go with you so badly? You don't know anything about me. You've never even seen my face." Sasori snicked when he saw Deidara's reaction and continued, "Doesn't that bother you? Living with the thought that you're not good enough - or trusted enough - for me to reveal myself?"

Deidara's jaw dropped. _He knew. _How? "H-how?" he stuttered. "H-how did you know...?" Tears sprang to his eyes. His face, as bright red as candied cherries, was soon lubricated with tears. Before Sasori had a chance to reply, he ran out of the room and into the connected bathroom. He slammed the door angrilly, locking it shut so that Sasori would not be able to enter. Without conscious thought, the blonde ripped off his clothes and stormed into the shower, turning the hot water on full-blast. He didn't care how badly the water seared his skin - he welcomed the pain. It was better than not feeling anything at all. Over these past three months spent with Sasori, Deidara had fallen deeper and deeper into depression. Lately, he had even considered self-mutilation. What was the point of anything?

Deidara slammed his fist into the wall in front of him, stopping the depressing thoughts from continuing. _No, _he thought adamently, _I won't let myself become that. _He couldn't. He had known far too many people in his past life who had done that to themselves. Just witnessing it was sad enough; he did not need to become that. Besides, what would Sasori think of him if he saw the wounds? Sasori would only be that much harder on him.

Blinking the depressing thoughts away, Deidara continued on with the shower that was supposed to be taking place, meticulously cleaning himself. Showers always left him feeling calm, serene. This time was no different.

The blonde left the shower an hour later, sopping wet, covered only by a towel around his waist. He needed to comb through his hiar, but had forgotten his brush outside the bathroom. Sasori was where Deidara had left him, off to one corner. The puppet master lay perfectly still, and Deidara found himself staring curiously. Would Sasori ever move? Curiosity soon overwhelmed him.

Without quite wanting to, Deidara cautiously approached his partner and squatted down beside him. "Erm...Sasori-san, un?" He called gently, knocking on the shell a little.

Sasori answered instantly. "What do you want, brat?"

_Be strong, _the former Iwa-nin commanded himself as he stood. "I want you to go into town with me when I'm finished getting dressed."

His partner gave him a quick once-over before replying, "Fine."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the duo were walking through the streets of Amegakure, Deidara soaking in the wonderfull village like the tourist he was. Although he had traveled the world with Sasori for three months now, Deidara had seldom been able to enjoy views the major villages had been able to supply. Now that he finally had the chance to do so, Deidara clung to everything he saw like a child. He would stop and point things out to Sasori excitedly, who would humorly remain silent, only speaking when he absolutely had to. But that was alright - as long as they weren't arguing, Deidara was fine.

After touring Ame for three hours, Deidara convinced Sasori to buy some lunch. Deidara gratefully fell into his seat, exhausted. Sasori sat across form him, still concealed within Hiruko. "Hey, Sasori-san," Deidara asked after he placed his order, "Why is it we can roam freely in this village without disguises, un?"

"Amegakure supports us," Sasori answered instantly, as if this were the most obvious thing. "And so we have no reason to hide."

"Ah," Deidara responded with a nod. At least Sasori hadn't been too hurtful when answering. Perhaps things were slowly getting better. "Say, Sasori-san, when did you first start believing art was eternal, un?"

Sasori was silent for a moment before carefully answering, "It's simply something I've always believed in. A belief doesn't just form overnight; it's something that is always with you."

Deidara smiled fondly in admiration. "Yeah, I guess you're right, un. I've never thought of that before." His thoughts switched to a different plance, and he burst out happily, "Ooh, ooh, can we stay and watch the fireworks tonight, un?! Onegai?" Tonight, the village they were touring - Amegakure - was sending off fireworks to end a festival, of which Deidara was enjoying. The blonde smiled, unable to hide his excitement. If Sasori agreed, there would be nothing better happening with their 'relationship.' Deidara waited patiently for Sasori's reply, knowing full well that begging would get him nowhere. The best was to get something from the puppeteer, he learned, was through silence.

The puppeteer was silent for a long while before sighing heavily and acceding, "Fine."

Deidara cheered happily but refrained from jumping up and hugging Sasori. Moves like that usually never got him anywhere. Instead, he calmed himself and said, "I love fireworks, un. Have you ever heard the phrase 'Fireworks inspire love'?"

Sasori took a thoughtful moment of silence before nodding slightly. "Yes, I've heard something similar to that. Something like 'What is it about fireworks that make people confess their love?'"

The Iwa-nin nodded happiy, unable to contain his smile. "Un, un! That's it! I love that phrase, un. I think it's really accurate. Beautiful works of art like fireworks are bound to inspire love between two people, un." He sighed contenedly, then whispered, "I wish I could find someone I could commit to like that."

His partner shook his head softly. "You're naive, Deidara. Even if the sight of fireworks going off inspires you to confess something so secret, it doesn't mean they had the same effect on your loved one. Love isn't always a perfect reciprocle. People get crushed, left behind. Hearts get broken no matter what." Deidara's heart suffered a pang of emotion at the strength and emotion behind Sasori's words. He looked away from the Akasuna, frowning at his sobreity. Not once had Deidara seen - or heard, technically - Sasori happy. Was a man who magically lived without sustenance capeable of feeling happiness? He obviously felt pain about something that had happened int he past, so it only made sense that he could feel joy, as well.

Deidara looked down at the mouths on his hands for a long moment, hating the awkward silence, before breaking it. He looked to Sasori, shook away the depressing thoughts, and countered, "Even if a relationship ends in pain, it's worth it in the long run, un. All of the happiness and love you once felt overwhelms the feelings of loneliness afterwards. The memories remain within you forever, relieving the pain, if only a little, un." A gush of sorrow nearly overcame him when he remembered the happy, simpler days with his friends and family from Iwa. But he pushed the depression down, refusing to let Sasori find his one true weakness.

Sasori was silent for a long moment before whispering, "What if those memories begin to fade? What if they dissapear forever?" Only at the end of his questions did he look into Deidara's eyes.

There was no answer to that. Deidara's heart sank as he felt the pain running through Sasori. He could do nothing but mutter the puppeteer's name.

Here, Deidara imagined Sasori flinching in pain. Then the Suna-nin turned away, ending the conversation. "Please," his voice was barely above a whisper - Deidara had to strain his ears to hear, "I don't want to talk about this. Let's just go find a spot for the fireworks, okay?" Never before had Sasori's voice been so soft, so timid, so pleading.

Silently, Deidara nodded once and stood, following the concealed Sasori out of the restuarant.

* * *

The two Akatsuki members were silent for a long while as they searched for a good viewing point, the air between them palpable. As time went by, the silence grew, causing more and more difficulty for Deidara's respiratory system. His heart was beating so quickly, he was almost certain Sasori could hear it.

Taking in a deep breath, Deidara began, "Sas - "

Sasori cut him off completely, as though he hadn't spoken at all. "Ah, look. Perfect mountain-top view of all of Ame for you." He gestured out at the town, silently telling Deidara to look.

Weakly, Deidara turned away and looked out to the entire village of Ame, glimmering as it turned its lights on for night. It was beautiful - one of the most beautiful things Deidara had ever seen.

It was almost time for the fireworks to start. Giddy anticipation obliterated any feelings of depression over Sasori, overriding the blonde's thoughts. "The fireworks are gonna start! The fireworks are gonna start, un!" As soon as he said this, the first few fireworks were blasted into the air. Amazed by the beauty, Deidara fell to the ground, landing perfectly in a pretzel position, one leg folded over the other. Completely transfixed, Deidara stared up at the night sky, cheering with each explosion of color. His heart picked up pace, a smile dominant on his face.

Deidara was so transfixed by the wonderful light show, he didn't noticed Sasori's absence. Just as the grand finale was taking place, Deidara noticed someone sitting beside him with a sigh of content. The character held his knees close and rested his chin on them, the flash of expressions reflecting in his eyes. He had what seemed to be short, spiky hair and brown eyes. Deidara couldn't be certain, though, because darkness played a trick on color.

The fireworks ended in one final dazzling flash, a light that illuminated everything around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he realized that the person sitting beside him had _red _hair, not brown. _Red hair..._Why did that ring bells throughout his mind? Where did he remember red hair from? It was so familiar, so close, yet so distant...

The character sighed when the fireworks stopped. "Fireworks _are _beautiful," he whispered, as if commenting on something said in an earlier conversation, "But what's the point of something that dies as soon as it's born?" He shook his head dismally.

Deidara didn't recognize the voice. Panicing, he ignored the male's comment and looked around for Sasori. There were no signs of him anywhere. "Sasori-san..."

"What?" The male beside him answered.

Shocked, Deidara slowly turned to face the male, more alerts of recognition going off in his mins. He was absolutely certain he had never heard that voice before, but something in his mind was screaming otherwise. Deja vu was a bitch, put blatantly. "Y-you're not Sasori-san..."

The male identifying himself as Sasori shook his head again, sighing as he answered, "Your name is Deidara. You are a jonin from Iwagakure. You used to be a terrorist-for-hire, until the leader of the Akatsuki - Pein from Amegakure - employed you and partnered you with me, Akasuna Sasori, formerly from Sunagakure. In order to detonate your bombs - you refer to them as 'art' - you use mouths on the palms of your hands to incorporate your Chakra into them. Then, whenever you choose, you detonate the bombs, which are usually molded into birds or bugs."

Deidara stared at the man - who was Sasori - wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He was amazed. "S-sasori-san," he began, the beginnings of a smile appearing on his face, "you have to let me see you in the light, un!"

Sasori gave a small "Tsk." in annoyance, but said nothing resembling a refusal. He stood and gestured to the blonde, mumbling, "Let's get back to the base, then." Deidara eagerly followed the puppeteer's lead, wanting nothing more than to hear him speak more. And to see his actual features. He was wrong before - the night was definitely getting better and better as it passed.

The two Akatsuki stepped through the door to their base and into its light. Sasori made to turn and face Deidara, but he craftilly avoided the sight, shaking his head vigorously and replying, "Our room, un!" He ran off int he direction of their shared room joyfully, giddy with excitement.

He nearly got lost on the way, but Sasori guided him, even if his comments were a little hurtful. Finally, though, they made it. Deidara rushed inside first, waiting for the sound of the door clicking shut before whirling around excitedly.

Deidara gasped audibly in amazement. Sasori actually had bright red hair, porcelain skin and wonderful mercury eyes. He was...he was beautiful. A work of art. Deidara's breathing stopped as his heart fluttered. He suddenly recalled his dream, seeing this male before him. But what had the rest of the dream been about? He couldn't remember. "Wow," he breathed, stepping closer and touching Sasori's cheek with his fingertips. A look of puzzlement crossed his face. Sasori's cheek was cold, the skin hard. Like polished wood.

Sasori answered his unspoken question. "I changed myself into a puppet long ago, about a year before I joined the Akatsuki." He had a wonderful voice; soft, always whisper-like. Velvet.

"So that's how you can survive in Hiruko for so long..." his voice trailed off in thought. So many questions drifted through his mind, he couldn't think straight. Was Sasori completely a puppet, one hundred percent? Or did he have human organs still, like a heart? Could he still feel pain? And if he could no longer feel physical pain, could he feel emotional hurt? Did he still need to sleep, to breathe? "Wow," Deidara whispered again, resting his hand completely on Sasori's cheek. "That's…very artistic."

Their eyes met, and Deidara's heart stopped. Sasori's eyes were so deep, Deidara felt himself falling…

He crashed, hard, when Sasori gently removed Deidara's hand from his cheek, cupping the blonde's hand in both of his. The redhead smiled as he looked down on the blonde's palm. Sasori's hands felt cool against his skin, but in a comfortable way. For a moment they stayed like that, but then Sasori relinquished his hand and moved away, sighing as he began, "So, I suppose you have a lot of questions for me." He sat down on his bed and gestured beside him. Deidara gave a greatful smile and sat beside his partner.

"Un." The blonde answered with a small nod. Without waiting for a reply, he began, "What made you show me your true self in the first place, un?"

Sasori smiled. "Fireworks inspire people." He was silent for a moment before adding, "And our conversation in the restaurant told me a lot about you. I suppose I felt I could trust you after that."

Deidara smiled and asked another question. "Your entire body is wood now, right?"

The puppeteer took a moment before answering, "Mostly. There are certain areas I chose to keep human. My heart is one of them, although it doesn't look much like a heart anymore."

Deidara took a moment of his own, processing the information, before asking, "Can you feel pain still?"

Sasori shook his head. "Only in the areas that are still human, and my heart."

"Can you feel emotional pain, un?"

For a moment, Sasori just stared at Deidara, as if wondering why a question like that was important at all. "Yes. I can feel any emotion: love, hate, anger, sadness. Most of the time I keep these emotions hidden, though. It's the way I was trained in the Sand."

Deidara nodded, happy that Sasori still had emotion. Why, he wasn't sure. "What made you decide to change yourself?"

"Well, as you know, my definition of art is something that is everlasting, eternal. In order to truly become that quintessential form of art, I had to convert my body to that of a puppet's. And so I did. Now I will live forever, the example of fine art."

Deidara stared at Sasori, open-mouthed, in amazement. Sasori loved his art so much that he decided to actually _become _it. Never before had Deidara felt so much respect for another person. "That's amazing, un!" He shouted as he forced a hug with the puppeteer. "From now on," he said as he backed off of Sasori, "I'm going to call you Sasori-danna!"

"'Master Sasori'?" Sasori translated, scrunching his face in what seemed to be distaste.

"Un!" Deidara shouted happily, forcing another hug with his newfound Danna. "It's because I've never respected anyone more," he explained, backing away again.

He thought he caught a proud smile on his Danna's face, but Sasori turned away before it could be completely identified and replied, "Go to bed, brat. It's late."

Deidara whined, but complied, unable to defy his Danna.

* * *

**Translations:**

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Iwa - Stone**

**Amegakure - Village Hidden in the Rain **

**Ame - Rain **

**Onegai - Please **

**Suna - Sand **

**Iwagakure - Village Hidden in the Stone **

_A/N _

_Woot! Finally, AN UPDATE! It's not what I wanted to update in, but at least it's something for my fans! For now, I leave you with this :) _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

That night, Deidara dreamed of Sasori again, only dirtier. This time, when Sasori confessed his love and kissed the blonde, he pushed him back against a bed and continued kissing him. The kisses got more and more passionate as Sasori followed Deidara's jawline to the nape of his neck. Once there, Sasori nibbled a bit, sending excited shivers down his spine. Deidara inhaled sharply at the sensation, gasping Sasori's name. Sasori's hands slowly glided up Deidara's shirt as he kissed Deidara's lips. Slightly overwhelmed, Deidara closed his eyes and mowned into the redhead's mouth.

His Danna's hands were just beginning to go south when Deidara woke with a start. His breathing was ragged, and his sheets were sticky. Sweat covered his skin, though he knew that wasn't the cause of his sticky sheets.

Already exhausted, Deidara sat upright, burying his face in his fists. He had gone through wet dream. Again. And, again, he could remember nothing of his dream. Frustration and embarrassment overwhelmed him, and, tears welled. But he fought them down, wiping them away the instant they showed. _Not this time, _he thought to himself. _Not anymore at all. _He vaguely wondered what Sasori would say as he jumped off his bed and slowly made his way to the shower, but he didn't care. The blonde hung his head, shame a thousand pounds on his shoulders.

He made it to the foot of his bed before bumping into a figure with a black cape and red clouds. Sasori.

Fresh tears welled, but again he wiped them away, biting his lower lip. _Not anymore, _he repeated in his thoughts. _From now on, I'm going to be the strong, S-class Iwa terrorist I used to be. Never again will I cry like a child. _

Gently, Sasori gripped Deidara's chin with his thumb and forefinger, pulling the blonde's face into view. "Tsk, you're trying so hard not to cry right now, aren't you?" Sasori murmured as he gently wiped away the welling tears with the hand that had been holding his chin up. "Well, at least you're not balling your eyes out as usual...And you wonder why I call you brat." The redhead sighed and relinquished the blonde's face completely, handing him a bundle of clean clothes. "Here," he sighed again. "These are spares of mine, so they might be a little bi - "

Deidara never gave Sasori a chance to finish, because he forced a tight hug with his Danna and murmured in his chest, "Domo arigato! You've been so nice to me, un..." He hugged Sasori tighter, burying his face deeper within the redhead's chest.

As expected, Sasori awkwardly patted Deidara's back in reply, his hand barely touching Deidara. It made Deidara a little upset that he didn't get a full hug, but what more could he expect when he was covered in sweat and semen? "Go take a shower, brat. You're starting to stink." Came Sasori's only reply.

Deidara blushed a deep shade of red at his words, unable to hide a smile as he ran into the bathroom.

* * *

In the warmth of the shower, Deidara's thoughts roamed free. He thought about thing the most when bathing, surrounded by and submerged in comforting water. Eventually, his thoughts fell onto Sasori. What were the redhead's motives for suddenly acting so kind? Even Deidara could easily see how drastically Sasori's personality changed. The question was: why? Why was Sasori suddenly treating him so kindly? What were his motives? Had their boss, Pein, instructed Sasori to be nicer to him? That wouldn't make much sense, though - Pein didn't care if you weren't happy. He only cared about whether or not you completed your mission swiftly and effectively.

Deidara sighed as he washed himself. _Perhaps it's better I don't know, _he thought. _Maybe Sasori will reveal his intentions on his own. _He sighed again and whispered to himself, "I don't like this, un."

Once out of the shower, Deidara donned Sasori's clothes, which actually fit him pretty well. Retying his hair, Deidara emerged from the bathroom. Sasori was at his worktable, working on one of his puppets, as usual. "How do the clothes fit?" he asked the blonde, not looking up from his work.

Deidara blushed. "Pretty good, un. Domo arigato."

"Itashimashite." Sasori returned his thanks.

A heavy silence fell between them. Deidara took a seat on his bed and looked down at his hands, unsure as to how to ask his question. He decided to be blunt.

"Erm, Danna?"

"Nani?" Sasori didn't bother looking up from his work.

"Erm...I was wondering...Why have you been acting so nice to me, un?"

This time, Sasori looked over at him. "Well, I'm typically a passive person."

"Just impatient."

Sasori shot him a glare and continued, "I just didn't think you'd be good for the Akatsuki, at the beginning. But, as we completed more and more missions, I started to believe that you were an asset. So I decided to show my true form, especially after our conversation in the restaurant. I felt I could trust you more."

"What made you act so cruel and always stay within Hiruko?"

"I didn't feel I could trust you. I thought you would betray use once you'd seen all of our faces. So I kept mine hidden and prodded you, testing your breaking points. The way I planned, you would eventually leave us because of me and betray us. This way, i was able to learn two things at once; your breaking point and your loyalty to the Akatsuki. Basically, it was all a big test."

"And I passed, un?!" Happiness and pride swirled within him.

"You passed." His Danna confirmed with a fond smile.

Deidara couldn't hide the wide smile caressing his face. "So no more Mean Sasori?!"

Sasori chuckled. "Not as mean as I was, but still pretty tough."

That was good enough for him. He ran over to Sasori and hugged him tightly, shouting thanks.

Without meaning to, Deidara knocked over a bottle of purple liquid. "Oh, sorry, Danna!" Whilst still hugging Sasori, Deidara attempted to wipe it up with the sleeve of his cloak.

"Don't touch," Sasori snapped, batting away his hand as he proceeded to pick up the mess.

"Huh?" The blonde asked as he relinquished his hold on Sasori. "Why?"

"It's an extremely potent poison that will seep into your pores and kill you. I haven't made an antidote for this one yet, because I've just created it."

"Oh, okay." He backed off enough for Sasori to clean the table. "Was that your only bottle, un?" Guilt began to befall him at the idea.

"Yes, but I have enough ingredients left over to create more."

Deidara let out an audible breath of relief.

"Don't think that gets you off the hook," Sasori snapped as he threw away the rag he used to clean up the mess. Deidara's heart stopped in anxiety. What would his punishment be? "It takes three weeks to create the poison." In those three weeks, you will be my personal slave, doing everything I tell you, no mater how ridiculous."

Deidara's jaw dropped. "N-nani?! No! I refuse."

Sasori laughed. "You can't refuse. Anyway, it will be sort of like a game. Whenever I want you to do something, I'll say, 'I charge you to...' whatever. Now, listen. If I _don't _say the phrase, you are exempt from doing what I asked _and _you get to charge me to one thing. This will last until the poison is created. Deal?"

Despite Deidara's best instincts, he couldn't help but think of the game as fun. Calculating his first order for Sasori, Deidara clenched and unclenched his fist in thought before finally answering, "Deal."

Sasori smiled, a smile Deidara didn't like. "Good. Now, I charge you to sit." Deidara relunctantly sat on his bed and looked up at his Danna. Sasori took a seat on the floor directly in front of Deidara and looked up to the blonde with a smirk. No doubt he had already thought up embarrassing orders for Deidara to obey. "I charge you to answer my questions truthfully and to the best of your knowledge. What have you been dreaming about lately?"

A fierce blush took control of Deidara's face. He hadn't been expecting that. _Kami, _he thought, _this is gonna be a hard three weeks. _"Um...I can't remember, actually. I just wake up and...you know."

"You honestly can't remember?" Sasori had a disbelieving tone to his voice.

A direct question without the proper phrase! Now Deidara could ask why Sasori had chosen that question to be his first. "I char - "

"Ah, ah, ah," Sasori cut him off, "I clearly charged you to answer my _questions _truthfully and to the best of your knowledge, indicating that there would be more than one. Because I said that, I don't have to say the phrase each time, because it's assumed. So answer the question."

Deidara sighed heavily in defeat. "No, I don't remember what I've been dreaming, un."

Sasori nodded, his eyes revealing he knew something Deidara didn't. Deidara's eyes narrowed in suspicious thought. "Okay, enough of that." Sasori stood and looked down on Deidara. "I want to play a game. I charge you to play with me."

"Aren't we already playing a game, un?" Sasori remained silent, his eyes searing Deidara's soul. The blonde sighed heavily before asking, "What do we do in this game?"

The redhead smirked devilishly. "You just sit there. We're going to play the Nervous Game. I place my hand somewhere on you - say, your shoulder - and ask, 'Are you nervous?' and you just answer yes or no."

Deidara nodded. It seemed simple enough. And since he was not physically attracted to his Danna, Deidara was certain this would be a game he could win.

First, Sasori rested his hand on Deidara's knee. "Are you nervous?"

"No."

Sasori slid his hand up Deidara's thigh, about two inches away from his center, and rounded his hand so that his fingers were that much closer. "Are you nervous?" The devious smile never faded.

Deidara gulped down the tension he felt and answered, "No."

In response, Sasori flicked his pinkie finger outwards, away from the rest of his fingers, so that it touched Deidara's length. "Are you nervous?"

Sasori looked straight into Deidara's eyes. The blonde barely noticed his fluttering heart or lack of breath.

"I charge you to answer. Are you nervous?"

Deidara gulped and backed away, stammering, "Y-yes."

His Danna studied him intently for a moment more before backing off completely. "Alright, Nervous Game over. Now, I charge you to consider deeply before answering. What have you been dreaming about?"

As charged, Deidara thought back, fighting to remember what had happened in his dreams. He thought back to the fireworks, to his first important conversation with the redhead. Nothing. He was drawing complete blanks. "I-I don't know..." he stuttered.

Sasori sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Okay, never mind. I'm going to work on the poison." He made to move over to his worktable.

"Sasori-danna?" Deidara called softly, disappointed that he couldn't remember.

"Nani?"

"What about me, un?"

His Danna smiled deviously - it was a smile Deidara found himself liking. "Oh, you'll like what I have in store for you. Until then, do what you want." He waved Deidara off and took a seat at his desk.

Freedom! Sasori had just given him temporary freedom - freedom that could end at any moment. Deidara racked his thoughts for something to do, but found nothing. So, instead, he fell back against his bed and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for his Danna to finish.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Sasori was standing above him, calling his name. "Brat. Brat!"

Well, he _was _calling his name.

"I charge you to get up already!"

Moaning, Deidara sat upright and yawned. "When did I fall asleep, un...?"

"Doesn't matter," Sasori growled, putting his hand on his hip in annoyance. "You're pretty stupid, you know that, brat?"

And the ridiculing was back. "N-nani? What are you talking about, un?"

"I give you freedom to do whatever you want because I'm busy and you just lay down and go to sleep? How stupid could one person be?" Anger flashed in his eyes.

"I...I feel most comfortable when we're together," Deidara explained softly as he looked to his lap. "If I'd have to choose between spending time with you or someone else...I'd choose you every time, un." He looked up to Sasori again, waiting.

The anger in Sasori's eyes visibly dissolved with surprise. Then they softened, the beautiful mercury like pools of water reflecting moonlight. "S-Sasori-danna..." Deidara stuttered, standing, "your eyes are so...beautiful..." Without realizing it, Deidara cupped Sasori's cheek in his hand and leaned in closer, mouth slightly open. He didn't notice how his body was tingling with anticipation or how his mouth watered. Leaning in closer still, Deidara tore his eyes away from Sasori's in exchange for the redhead's lips. He had felt this feeling many times before, but never for another male. Almost as though he was hallow inside, except for his heart, which fluttered at a blushing pace. "Danna..." he whispered, looking into Sasori's eyes once more. The blonde bit his lip in a vain attempt to halt the flow of saliva in his mouth.

Sasori stepped closer to the blonde, making their bodies touch. Someone groaned, and it took Deidara a moment to realize that it was him. A moment later, Sasori's lips were on his, and he was was very confused. As soon as they appeared on him, the lips disappeared and Sasori stepped away slowly.

For only a moment, Deidara stared into Sasori's eyes, looking for an answer. Then, the moment gone, he sank back onto his bed, looking to his palms. His heart had loved the kiss, his body had reacted normally, but his mind was confused. More than half of him didn't want this - the only thing stopping him was his heart. He was more than confused; emotions swirled around inside him, contradicting with his rational mind.

"D-danna," Deidara murmured, looking up to Sasori, "I...I need to...to take a walk, un."

Sasori's eyes narrowed, but he did not say anything as he took another step back and gestured to the door. As Deidara stood and moved off to his exit, the redhead turned away from him and to Hiruko. A tangible silence pierced Deidara's heart as he ran out the door and to anywhere else.

* * *

**Translations: **

**Danna - Master**

**Domo arigato - Thank you very much **

**Itashimashite - Welcome (**_**Your welcome **_**would be **_**Do Itashimashite**_**) **

**Nani - What? **

_Woo! Another new chapter! I'm trying to type up everything with the smallest number of pages, and so this is it :) Hopefully I can find the time to type my other, more important stories. Wish me luck! Until then, ciao! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lost and confused, Deidara wandered the streets of Ame, looking for some sort of release. The night was young, and he knew exactly what type of release he was looking for. As he walked through the crowded streets, his eyes continued to pick up on beautiful objects of his search, and his mind began formulating strategies on how to acquire those objects.

Acting on a chosen strategy, Deidara followed his chosen female into a sake-house she had stepped into and took a seat.

Enticing her was easy. In a matter of one hour, Deidara was at the female's apartment, his shirt off and on the floor. The woman - he had never bothered to learn her name in the hour they had spent talking - happily removed her shirt, exposing her beautiful breasts. "Ko," Deidara murmured as he gently took one in either hand, rubbing against her nipples with his thumbs. The mouths on his hands, hidden with genjutsu, watered in excitement.

* * *

Deidara awoke long before the sun rose. Silent as the ninja he was, the blonde terrorist put his clothes back on and left the girl's apartment. Behind him, the woman cooed softly and rolled onto her side, completely unaware of his departure.

The night had gone perfectly. The female had succeeded in arousing him, and he had been able to cum as usual. He had found release, and he now knew that he was still physically attracted to women. His experiment had been a success.

Once more on the streets of Ame, Deidara made his way to a dango shop and bought himself some breakfast, to go. Chewing on a dango as he walked the streets, Deidara carefully thought through his situation. He was still physically attracted to women, and could still perform for them whilst enjoying himself, and yet his feelings for Sasori were so muddled, so confused...

Without realizing where he was headed, Deidara made his way to a small clearing, bordering a creek. There was a tree facing the creek, and so Deidara sat against it and looked to the water as he finished one of his dango.

He wasn't there long before someone stepped before him and spoke, "Of course, anyone with any sort of 'artistic' thoughts would be here."

Deidara blinked and realized he had been sitting there longer than he thought; the sun had just risen when he had found the spot, but now it was in a position that suggested it was almost noon. His dango were completely gone, although he still kept a firm grip on the bag that had once held them. The blonde blinked once more, surprised that he had stayed there for so long, and looked up to the male who had spoken, his Danna.

Sasori rolled his eyes, his left hand on his hip, and offered his right. "You've been gone a while," he stated flatly. "I hate being the 'motherly' sort of partner, but almost twenty-four hours away from the base is long enough."

Thoughtlessly, Deidara took Sasori's hand in his own and stood, brushing himself off. Although he had spent so much time thinking things through, he was still nowhere near a conclusion. Now on his feet, without realizing what he was doing, he stared into Sasori's bottomless mercury eyes. He had no idea he was still keeping a tight hold on his Danna's hand.

For a while, Sasori just stared back at him. Then, "Why are you still holding my hand, brat?"

"Huh?" Deidara asked, looking to their connected hands. "Oh. Gomen." He relinquished Sasori's hand and looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Come, let's go." Sasori turned to leave, but Deidara didn't move. "Deidara? What are you waiting for?"

Deidara's mind was still blank. No thoughts were being processed, no neurons connected. His hands balled into fists, and his arms shook. Emotions swirled within him, an excess bubbling within him. His mind...his heart...his _everything..._There was no word to describe the huge void that was supposed to be his thoughts.

"Deidara?" Sasori called. "Something wrong?"

That was when Deidara broke. Faster than thought, Deidara's lips were on Sasori's, in one of the most fiercly passionate kisses Deidara had ever given. In another instant, Deidara had disconnected form his Danna and buried his face in his chest, pounding it weakly with his fists. "Danna," he sobbed without tears, "I'm...I'm so confused, un!" He ceased the pounding and used his hands to grip at Sasori's shirt instead.

Slowly, gently, Sasori took Deidara's chin in his hand and brought the blonde's face into light. Quietly, he spoke. "I charge you to charge me."

Deidara's eyes widdened in surprise. He blinked once, then ordered, "I charge you to answer honestly, un. How do you feel about me?"

Sasori wasted no time in responding. "I feel physically and emotionally attracted to you. Since sometime last month. I just..." Sasori looked away as his voice drifted off. He relinquished his hold on Deidara's chin.

"Just what, un?" Deidara repeated, trying to meet Sasori's eyes.

"I knew you were straight, and so I didn't want to impose..." his voice drifted off again.

Deidara groaned and buried his face in Sasori's chest once more. "Sasori-danna, I'm so confused, un! So confused..."

Sasori hugged him. Honestly hugged him. "You little brat," he murmured, his tone playful. "You don't _have _to feel attracted to me, you know."

"But I do, un!" Deidara shouted into Sasori's chest, "I _do _feel attracted to you _that way. _I do, un! But I was like my normal self last night..."

"Why don't you tell me what happened last night over some lunch? I'm sure it's been a while since you've eaten."

Deidara nodded once, his stomach growling, as Sasori disconnected from him and moved off. This time, he followed.

* * *

Back at the Akatsuki base, in their shared room, Deidara explicitly told of his nighttime adventures. He left nothing out, stopping only to bite into a dango from the bag Sasori had bought for him on their way home. Sasori was a perfect listener; he made no sounds during Deidara's story, nor did he interrupt for any reason. The redhead kept eye contact the entire time, though Deidara never returned it for long.

Once finished, the blonde let out a deep sigh of relief, happy to have undergone such a wonderful catharsis. He was glad to have found solace in his Danna, to have been able to straighten everything out. Satisfied, Deidara took his final dango from his bag and bit into it, waiting for Sasori's reaction.

"Well, it seems this is all just one big misunderstanding," The Akasuna said after a moment.

"Hunh?" Deidara asked, his mouth full of dango.

"If you really do have feelings for me, brat, but you can still have feelings for women, it just means you're bisexual. You made a big thing out of nothing, brat."

Deidara gulped down the rest of his dango. "Bi...sexual, un?" he repeated, unsure. Some of his old friends from Iwa had been bi, but he had never imagined that he could be 'that way' as well. Homosexuality had been heavily frowned upon in Iwagakure, bisexuality brought ridicule and abuse from the villagers. And so Deidara had been a heterosexual. Was there a possibility that, because of the environment he lived in, he subconsciously buried the half of him that felt attracted to men? It made sense.

Sasori nodded. "Was Iwa harsh on things like that?"

"The villagers were, but the government itself didn't care." Deidara murmured, his mind racing. He had _never _felt physical attraction to another man before, so why was Sasori making him feel this way?

"Suna was more liberal," Sasori replied. "It wasn't uncommon to see a couple of the same sex walking down the street."

What made Sasori so different from other men? Why did he start feeling attraction to his Danna? _What was wrong with him? _Suddenly, Deidara's thought process slammed itself against a mental wall, and his mind went perfectly blank, save for one thing: _You can tell how interested a person is based on how they kiss you and how they react to being kissed by you. _Reacting to this thought, Deidara stood and wordlessly approached Sasori. The puppeteer's mercury eyes looked up at him, and he was entrapped. In an instant, his lips were on Sasori's, and he could tell that Sasori was _very _interested. What Deidara _didn't _realize was how interested _he _was.

They separated, and Deidara took a silent moment to think through what he was feeling. Finally, he spoke. "Danna...I...I think it would be okay if...if we stay...like this. To-together, un."

Sasori nodded. "Good. For now, though, I need some time alone."

Deidara nodded as well, once, and backed off, leaving the room without a final word.

* * *

**Translations:**

**Ame - Rain**

**Danna - Master **

**Gomen - Sorry **

**Iwa - Stone**

**Iwagakure - Village Hidden in the Stone **

_I really love how this is working out :) Nice and slow, and Deidara's a sort of tragic hero in this story. At least, he is by the end of it XD. Please review, and thank you to everyone who reads! _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After a few hours of solitude, Deidara returned to Sasori's door and knocked on it gently. "Sasori-danna?" he called as he opened the door a crack.

"Come in," Sasori responded softly, from his bed.

Deidara entered and closed the door behind him. "I've...never seen you resting before, Danna." He said timidly as he took a seat beside Sasori on the bed.

"I don't actually _need _rest; it's just something I do when I don't feel like working on my puppets," the redhead responded. There was a long silence - a _very _long silence - before Sasori said, "So...what have you been up to, brat?"

"Nothing. I didn't leave the base this time, un. Just did a little exploring." There was a tangible awkwardness between them, making Deidara's heart race with discomfort.

Sasori nodded. "Good. I didn't want you too far from me."

A surge of emotion ran through Deidara as Sasori's words. _He wants to be with me, _he thought with a small smile. Then a thought hit him. "Oh, yeah, Danna," he began, brushing his bangs to the side a little, "Pein-sama told me to tell you that we've been assigned a mission, un."

There was a long silence, one that Deidara wasn't sure of. Sasori sighed heavily, sat up, and asked slowly, "What's the mission? And when are we supposed to leave? And where?"

Deidara's mind went blank. He completely forgot everything Pein had told him. "Um...Well...I, uh..."

"You forgot," Sasori said flatly, although he was smiling a little.

The blond chuckled sheepishly, his left hand behind his head.

* * *

"Your mission," Pein sighed as he reiterated, "is to locate the Yonbi, the Four-Tails, and the Ichibi, the One-Tail. The Yonbi does not have a Jinchuuriki, and so it will be harder capturing it. I have some information on the Ichibi's Jinchuuriki.

"His name is Gaara, and he is a chunin from Sunagakure. He's referred to as 'Sabaku no Gaara' because of his fighting style. He'll be a perfect match for Deidara. He is the son of the now-deceased Fourth Kazekage, and he has two older siblings; a female named Temari and a male called Kankuro. I don't have any information on either of them."

"A ninjutsu type, un?" Deidara guessed with a lick of his lips. "Sounds like fun."

"We'll go after the Ichibi first," Sasori told their boss.

Pein nodded. "Leave when you're ready." He turned away from them, and they left his office.

"Hey, aren't you from Suna, Danna?" Deidara asked as they walked back to their room.

Sasori was silent for a moment before he answered, "Yes. I swore never to go back there again..." he looked as though he would cry, if that were possible.

"Well, I'll be there with you, un!" Deidara said happily, hoping that would cheer his Danna up, even a little. Smiling softly, Deidara took Sasori's hand in his.

His Danna sighed, squeezing back a little as he murmured, "Thanks. Anyway, it'll take us two weeks to get to Suna from here, so we need to get everything together and leave as soon as possible." They were at their room, now. "So go make plenty of clay and be sure you're prepared."

"Un," the blond answered with a nod as he walked into their room. "Two bags of my explosive clay should be enough," he reasoned as he strapped two green bags at his waist and filled them with explosive clay.

"Two bags, brat?" Sasori asked, looking over to him. "We're fighting a Jinchuuriki here, not a genin."

Deidara shrugged. "Pein said the Ichibi's host was a chunin. I'm a jonin. How much easier could things be, un?"

"You should always be prepared for anything," Sasori replied as he returned to his puppets. "I have two-hundred and ninety-eight puppets in my collection, and still I bring extra traps. You can never be too prepared, brat."

Again, Deidara shrugged. "Whatever. I know this will be all I'll need to take him down, un. You just worry too much."

Sasori sighed heavily. "Fine. Have it your way." He took a moment to seal away the last of his puppets, then returned his full attention to Deidara. "Ready?"

Deidara nodded. "Can we stop to get something to eat first, un?"

His Danna nodded, and they set off.

* * *

After his meal, Sasori and Deidara left Ame, heading for Suna. It was noontime, and the sun was high above them. Deidara found himself sweating a little in the heat.

He was about to make a bird to carry him, but Sasori stopped him. "Don't use any of your clay yet," he reprimanded. "Save it. If you're really that exhausted..." he sighed heavily, "I'll carry you."

Deidara found himself blushing at the thought. "Oh, uh, no thanks. I guess I'll just walk, un."

Sasori sighed with relief. "Good. I really didn't want to have to carry you."

The blond found himself chuckling. That was just like Sasori. "I wouldn't trust you with my body, un."

An awkward silence passed, and Deidara realized what he had said. "Oh, uh, not that I think you would purposely harm me, un..."

"I know what you meant," Sasori said softly, his voice a knife through Deidara's heart. "You were kidding. That's fine."

The awkward silence returned. "Sorry," Deidara murmured. When Sasori didn't say anything, he begged, "Can we please stop this awkward silence? I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't trust you, un."

"You just can't stand silence, can you, brat?" Sasori sighed with a smiled. Deidara could tell that Sasori was not angry with him. "You know I prefer silence over speech."

"You know I don't, un," Deidara replied. "I hate silence!" He made to throw his arms up in exasperation, but stopped when he realized their left hands were entwined. Deidara's trail of vision moved from their combined hands, up Sasori's arm, and to his neck. Suddenly, Deidara found himself lusting for that neck. He wanted nothing more than to lick and nibble at that neck, to have Sasori to the same with his own...

And he was terrified. He had never before felt so excited for another male. "Um, Danna, can we stop here for a little? I'm exhausted, un."

Sasori looked over at him, a skeptical look on his face. "You don't look tired at all." He noted.

Smiling a little, Deidara began panting as though he had ran a mile. "I think...I really...need a rest...Danna...un."

The look on Sasori's face told Deidara he would be blushing if he could. "O-okay, brat, we'll stop for a minute. But _only _a minute, understand?"

Deidara smiled an angel's smile as he sat against a nearby tree. He sighed in content, resting his head back. "Nice shade, here," the blond noted offhandedly. When he realized Sasori still standing, he patted the spot beside him and said, "Come sit with me, Danna, un."

His Danna studied him for a moment before taking a seat next to him.

Heaving another contented sigh, Deidara closed his eyes and unthinkingly took Sasori's hand in his own. Sasori wrapped his fingers around Deidara's hand, squeezing gently. Deidara kept his eyes closed and smiled.

After a moment of silence, Deidara whispered Sasori's name.

"Hmm?" Sasori barely answered.

Deidara opened his eyes and rolled his head over to face the puppeteer. "I...I want to play the Nervous Game, un."

Sasori's eyes snapped open. He slowly turned to face Deidara, his nose bleeding a little. "N-nani?"

The blond smiled sheepishly. "Onegai? I really wanna play, un."

Not bothering to wipe the blood off his upper lip, Sasori chuckled. "Alright, sure. We'll play." Sasori relinquished Deidara's hand and placed his hand on the blond's knee. "Are you nervous?"

"No," Deidara responded, although his knee was tingling with delight, along with other areas.

Sasori slid his hand up Deidara's leg until it was about halfway to his pelvis. "Are you nervous?" he repeated.

"No," came the reply, although it was getting harder to breathe.

"No?" Sasori asked as he slid his hand into Deidara's leg. "How about now?" he prodded as he fingered Deidara's length gently, through his pants.

"No," Deidara exhaled deeply as he arched upwards a little.

"Oh?" His Danna prodded as he straddled the blond, fisting him. He was so close, Deidara could feel his breath against his lips. Deidara's tongue slipped out of his mouth and licked Sasori's own. Sasori gently held Deidara's chin in his free hand and kissed the blond. "Are you nervous yet?" Sasori whispered, his lips brushing against Deidara's as he spoke.

Deidara smirked, groaning within his throat as Sasori began to do a better job of fondling him. "Me? Never in a million years, un."

Sasori smirked as well and moved to Deidara's neck, which he licked and nibbled wonderfully. Deidara inhaled sharply when Sasori bit down with all his might, drawing blood. He pulled at Sasori's hair when the male lapped up the blood. Against Deidara's neck, Sasori whispered, "Are you nervous?"

Deidara shook his head weakly, out of breath. "N-no, un."

"'No, yeah'?" Sasori translated as both hands moved to unbutton his pants. "Sounds like someone's _lying, _to me."

The blond open his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the loud clap of thunder above them. An instant later, torrents of rain fell from the sky.

Sasori disconnected from Deidara completely and looked out from their canopy with a scowl. "Rain," he grunted. "That puts a damper on anything. I can't travel in the rain." He stared out at the rain, seeming to have forgotten Deidara completely.

"D-danna!" Deidara cried, the erection in his pants painful. "P-please," he managed when Sasori looked to him.

This made Sasori smile. "Well, we can't get naked anymore, so..." his voice drifted off as he exposed Deidara's swollen cock and bent low, taking it into his mouth.

Deidara gasped loudly in surprise and delight, arching forwards a little. After a minute or two, Deidara cried out one final time as he released his fluids into his Danna's mouth. He apologized softly.

"Don't apologize," Sasori replied as he spit most of the cum onto the ground, "I like your taste." He licked Deidara clean in a very, very hot way.

Deidara sighed in content and closed his eyes.

* * *

He awoke several hours later to the sound of chirping birds. The sun was bright, the temperature comfortable. A warmth was enveloping him, and when he turned to his left, Deidara realized Sasori was the warmth. Smiling in thanks, Deidara carefully repositioned himself within Sasori's embrace and kissed him, wondering if his Danna would actually feel it.

He did. Sasori's lips became alive, returning the kiss gently. He brushed Deidara's hair away from his face and broke the kiss. "What a lovely thing to wake up to," he whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

Deidara nodded weakly, unable to hold Sasori's gaze, for some reason. He felt a little hollow in his stomach - in more of a satisfied way than a hungry way - and his penis felt different, still holding remnants of the night before. He always felt this way after sexual contact.

_But he was feeling this for a boy. _

Something within him switched the wrong way, and Deidara suddenly felt disgusting. Unable to look Sasori in the eyes, Deidara put all of his attention on a discreet pebble. He clenched and unclenched his fist, his mind racing. "Something wrong, Deidara?" Sasori asked softly.

Deidara could do nothing but shake his head vigorously, still not meeting Sasori's gaze.

Gently, Sasori took Deidara's chin in his hand and forced their eyes to meet. "Deidara," he began, his voice the softest Deidara had ever heard it, "if you can't handle being in a relationship with me...I'm not going to be angry with you. I understand if...if..." his voice drifted off, into nothing.

Tears streaming down his cheeks, Deidara hugged Sasori close, having no choice but to let the tears flow freely.

* * *

For an entire week after that, they barely spoke to one another. Sasori had retreated into Hiruko's walls after leaving Ame's border behind, Deidara donning his Akatsuki cloak and hat. They walked at a normal paces, not worrying about deadlines they didn't have, speaking only when Dediara would ask to sit atop Hiruko's back. Sasori would barely reply, and Deidara could sit as long as he liked as Hiruko continued to move.

The silence was deafening to Deidara, louder than his largest explosion. It made him depressed, but, at the same time, he welcomed it. At least this way he could get his thoughts in order.

First, he was both physically and emotionally attracted to Sasori, who just so happened to be a male.

Second, he was still physically and emotionally attracted to women.

Third, Sasori's mute acceptance of Deidara's problem was more than painful; it felt like his heart was being eroded by acid. With every instant that went by like this, Deidara felt himself falling closer and closer to a complete breakdown.

And, most importantly, Deidara felt an irresistibly strong pull towards Sasori. As though he would never, ever be the same without him.

The two Akatsuki traveled until the moon was high in the sky. They stopped at a small village and rammed removed their Akatsuki clothes, Deidara putting his hair down after removing his cloak, hat, and headband. Sasori emerged from within Hiruko, putting the puppet away and removing his own Akatsuki cloak in exchange for a plain black one with a hood. Sasori put the hood up, instantly hiding his facial features.

Deidara and Sasori entered the village then and booked a hotel room. The blond went off to take a shower whilst Sasori emerged from Hiruko and laid down on the bed they'd be sharing.

He took a long shower, treating himself. The rain from the night before had been cold, even with Sasori's attempts at keeping him warm...

Deidara stopped those thoughts when he felt a pang of excitement run through him. He rushed through the rest of the shower, not in the mood for masturbation.

Climbing out of the shower, Deidara dried his hair and wrapped his towel around his waist. He emerged form the bathroom and moved over to Sasori quietly.

He didn't realize what Sasori was doing until he was standing beside his side of the bed. Sasori jerked upwards and licked his lips, then bit them after he whispered Deidara's name.

Deidara's heart skipped a beat as he followed the length of Sasori's arm to its ending point.

He was masturbating.

_Sasori _was _masturbating. _

Deidara inhaled sharply - careful not to let Sasori hear - and grabbed his own penis, message it. He forced his eyes to stay open, to watch Sasori's beautiful act. Pressure began to accumulate - and _quickly - _as Deidara fingered himself through his towel.

Just as Deidara could stand the silence no longer, Sasori came and whispered the blond's name. Sasori's eyes fluttered open and met Deidara's.

Their gaze held firm as Deidara groaned Sasori's name and kissed the male. Sasori kissed back with a fierce passion, one that turned Deidara's legs to jelly. Before Deidara realized exactly what was happening, Sasori pulled him onto the bed and rolled him onto his back.

Sasori loomed over him and all fell silent. Deidara fought for air as his Danna stated flatly, "You're scared out of your mind, aren't you, brat?" It was definitely a rhetorical question.

The blond looked at everything but Sasori as he clenched and unclenched his fists, which were strewn out on either side of him. He realized, then, with his inability to breathe and rapid heartbeat, that he was terrified. What else could be expected? He was a virgin to sex with another male. "I-I've never done this before, un." Deidara chuckled away his embarrassment.

"Never with another guy," Sasori corrected, and Deidara nodded. "That's fine - we can go slow." He gently touched his fingertips to Deidara's chest and slowly ran them down his torso, then stopped at the belly button. "Unless, of course, you don't want to." Sasori looked to the blond's eyes and continued, "It's perfectly alright if you don't want to go all the way yet; I'd completely understand."

Deidara stared into Sasori's bottomless mercury orbs, amazed at his compassion. He shook his head softly and kissed the scorpion with everything he had. The blond took Sasori's hand in his and guided him to the towel covering him. Gently, as if worried he might break, Sasori took Deidara's dick into his hand and massaged him through the towel. A warmth rushed over Deidara's cheeks, and he knew he was blushing as he whispered Sasori's name.

"Deidara," Sasori responded, backing off and hovering above the blond, "When...when we do this...when we're together on a bad...I don't want you to use any sort of honorific or ending after my name." He had relinquished Deidara's member, using his hand instead to hold him up.

"W-why?" Deidara found himself whispering, though he really wanted to know why Sasori had stopped.

"Because you say my name...so beautifully. When we're here, on a bed together...I don't want anything to keep us separate. I...won't use any sort of nicknames or anything on you, either. I just want...it to be us. And only us."

"Dann - Sasori, you're so artistic, un." They kissed, hot and hard. When they broke again, Deidara shakily grabbed the edges of his towel and opened it, revealing his hard extension. Both hissed in pleasure at the removal of the towel, but for different reasons.

Sasori inhaled the scent of Deidara's neck and murmured, "Although it's the second time I've seen it, it's even more beautiful than before..." He kissed the blond's neck and pulled off his shirt, followed by his pants and underwear.

Now they were naked together, and Deidara had a full view of Sasori. The redhead was carved beautifully, his puppet's body gleaming in the light. Deidara saw Sasori's heart, felt is beating under his fingertips when he touched it. "Deidara," Sasori whispered after they kissed, his lips brushing against Deidara's. Sasori didn't say anymore - just kissed him.

But that we when the kissing became more passionate, the touching a little rougher in Sasori's impatience. Deidara inhaled sharply and arched upwards in pleasure, digging his hands into Sasori's hair and tugging at them as the redhead licked, kissed, nibbled, and touched him everywhere. Between ragged breaths, the blond begged his Danna for more, to continue.

Sasori smiled against Deidara's thigh and moved back to his lips. "All right, all right," he whispered as he purposefully rubbed his penis against Deidara's, "hitch your legs over my hips."

Deidara did so without thinking as he bit down on his lip, hard. Sasori smirked and kissed the uke as he fingered the other male's entrance, scissoring it open and closed. The blond screamed Sasori's name as he slowly entered. Sasori smirked once more and whispered for Deidara to try and keep quiet, then kissed him.

Just as Deidara was beginning to get used to the feeling of Sasori's length inside him, Sasori whispered, "Found it," and thrust inside completely, with all the force he had, hitting a certain spot perfectly and turning his vision white. He screamed and a warmth covered his stomach as his vision slowly returned to normal.

Sasori hit that point a couple more times, then slowed to a halt and came within Deidara. He sighed heavily as he did this, his apple breath cascading down on the blond. Deidara groaned in protest as Sasori pulled out of him, but he didn't stop his Danna.

The both of them panting heavily, Sasori laid down beside Deidara and whispered, "I love you, Deidara."

Deidara kissed Sasori's neck in response, then fell asleep instantly.

* * *

**Translations: **

**Nani - What? **

**Onegai - Please**

_A/n_

_This is dedicated to my friend Harley, who (says he is) is a straight guy who read my other yaoi story, the fourth chapter of Fox Sculptures. He read the whole thing because he liked how it was written, even with all the yaoi XD. I love you, hoshi! _


End file.
